Daily Gospel Reflection

Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.

June 19, 2023

Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Mt 5:38-42
Listen to the Audio Version

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”

Reflection

Kelly (Griffith) Bell ’16, ’18, M.Ed.
Share a Comment

As an elementary school principal, when there is a dispute between students, I often hear the children exclaim, “Well, he did it first!” or, “She started it!”

I think of one recent interaction with a student who repeated back the same unkind things to a classmate after he upset her. As she sat next to me on the school steps during recess, we reflected on what had happened. We talked about how it can be hard to resist striking back when we are wronged, but she realized that trying to get even only got her into trouble too.

One of life’s hardest lessons, regardless of age, is knowing when to let things go. We might feel the temptation to exact revenge when we feel slighted. “Turning the other cheek” requires us to check our egos, and it is difficult! However, no one wins in a world constructed around an eye for an eye. Aggression and evil can only be defeated by choosing to respond radically to stem the cycle.

Like much of the New Testament, today’s gospel is a paradox. In this teaching, we are handed a dose of humility as we are challenged to love radically. How can we stand up for ourselves or speak up when we are wronged without causing more hurt? And, even more, how can we then accompany those who have afflicted us?

Jesus reminds us that everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted (Lk 14:11). We must have the humility to resist getting even and to love in a counter-cultural way. It might be difficult, but the world will be a better place for it.

Prayer

Rev. Herbert Yost, C.S.C.

Lord, please grant us the desire to want to learn how to forgive as you do. When we beg for forgiveness, you readily grant it. All is wiped clean, all is forgotten. We put our trust in your generosity. Amen.

Saint of the Day

St. Juliana Falconieri

St. Juliana was born into a storied family of the Florence nobility in 1270. Her uncle, St. Alexis Falconieri, was one of the seven founders of the Servite Order for men. Inspired by her uncle's holy example, Juliana decided at a young age to dedicate herself to God in religious life as well.

In 1285, she became a third order Servite and lived with her mother until she passed away. Upon her mother's death, Juliana and her companions moved in to their own communal house in 1305.

Juliana dedicated herself to care for the poor and sick. A popular story of her life says that she used her own mouth to suck infection out of the sores and wounds of patients languishing in the hospital.

In the midst of her constant care for the poor, Juliana made time to spend lengthy hours in prayer with God. She often entered into ecstasy during her prayer time, as the drawing to the left shows.

Juliana directed the sisters of the Servite order until her death in 1341. On her deathbed, Juliana was too ill to receive the Holy Eucharist, as she kept vomiting violently. She asked the priest to lay the host on her breast. The host disappeared, Juliana's body quieted, and she passed away peacefully. St. Juliana is the patron saint of those suffering from bodily ills.

St. Juliana Falconieri, founder of the Sisters of the Servite Order—pray for us!

Image Credit: Courtesy of the British Museum